Kool G Rap
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kool G Rap | |
|---|---|
Performing in New York City, November 2006
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Nathaniel Wilson |
| Also known as | G Rap, Your Favorite Rapper's Favorite Rapper |
| Born | July 20, 1968 |
| Origin | Queens, New York City, United States |
| Genre(s) | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Label(s) | Cold Chillin', Rawkus, Chinga Chang, Koch |
| Associated acts | DJ Polo, Juice Crew, Big Daddy Kane, Wu Tang Clan, Nas, Mobb Deep, Big L, Canibus, Ras Kass, Jedi Mind Tricks |
Nathaniel Wilson (born July 20, 1968[1]), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American rapper from the Corona section of Queens, New York[2]. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, and also as a member of the Juice Crew. He is often cited as one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11], who is a pioneer and master of mafioso/street/hardcore content[12][13][14][15][16][17] and multisyllabic rhyming[18]. His name is short for "Kool Genius of Rap"[19][20].
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Kool G Rap debuted with DJ Polo in 1986, on the single "It's a Demo"/"I'm Fly". They then released two more singles and Kool G Rap also rapped on the Juice Crew's classic posse cut 'The Symphony' before they released their debut album, Road to the Riches in 1989[21][22]. This album and their two later albums, Wanted: Dead or Alive (1990) and Live and Let Die (1992), are highly regarded and considered Hip-Hop classics[23][24][25][26][27][28].
[edit] Solo career
In 1995 he released 4,5,6, the first of his solo albums, which featured production from Buckwild and guest appearances from Nas and MF Grimm - it has been his most successful record so far, reaching No.24 on the US Billboard 200 album chart[29]. This was followed by Roots of Evil in 1998[30]. He was then meant to release his next album, The Giancana Story, on Rawkus Records, Half A Klip was released in 2008 on Chinga Chang Records, featuring production from Hip-Hop legends DJ Premier and Marley Marl[31].
Criticisms of Kool G Rap's solo albums usually focus on the production not being up to the standard of the rapping[32][33].
While Kool G Rap has always been popular and well respected in Hip-Hop circles for his lyrical skills[34][35], he never crossed over and saw the same level of commercial success as rappers such as Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane, both also members of the Juice Crew[36][37]. He is known for consistently making records which are hardcore, dark, intelligent, and underground[38][39][40][41].
[edit] Legacy
Kool G Rap is regarded as a hugely influential golden age rapper[42]. Music journalist Peter Shapiro suggests that Kool G Rap "created the blueprint for Nas, Biggie and everyone who followed in their path"[43]. Kool G Rap is described by Kool Moe Dee as "the progenitor and prototype for Biggie, Jay-Z, Treach, Nore, Fat Joe, Big Pun, and about twenty-five more hard-core emcees"[44], and Kool Moe Dee also claims Kool G Rap is "the most lyrical" out of all of the artists mentioned[45]. MTV describes Kool G Rap as a "hip-hop godfather", adding that he paved the way for a lot of MCs who we would not have heard of otherwise[46]. Rolling Stone says, "G Rap excelled at the street narrative, a style that would come to define later Queens MCs like Nas (who was hugely influenced by G Rap on his early records) and Mobb Deep"[47]. Other artists who have named Kool G Rap as a major influence include M.O.P.[48], Scarface[49], R.A. The Rugged Man[50], Bun B of UGK[51], Rah Digga[52], RZA[53], Lady Of Rage[54], Big Pun[55], and Cage.
He is also often very highly rated in terms of his technical ability[56][57][58][59][60][61][62] and is often ranked alongside other highly regarded golden age MCs, such as Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, and KRS-One[63][64]. In Jay-Z's track 'Encore', Jay-Z raps, "hearing me rap is like hearing G Rap in his prime"[65][66], comparing his skill level to that of Kool G Rap, and Allmusic calls him "one of the greatest rappers ever", "a master", and "a legend" [67][68]. A number of rappers put him in their Top 5 MCs lists[69][70][71][72], Kool Moe Dee ranks Kool G Rap at No.14 in his book There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs[73], and MTV gives him an 'Honorable Mention' in their Greatest MCs Of All Time list[74].
[edit] Rhyme technique
Kool G Rap is known for using complex multisyllabic rhymes since his debut (in a similar way to other golden age MCs such as Big Daddy Kane and Rakim)[75], and this remains a hallmark of his style, along with his rapid-fire delivery and "superhuman breath control"[76]. Although many of today's MCs use multisyllabic rhymes extensively (such as Eminem, Pharoahe Monch, Nas, Papoose, and many others), Kool G Rap is known for taking the technique to its limits and packing in as many multisyllabic rhymes as possible[77][78], sometimes all in the same rhyme scheme for a whole verse, such as on Sway & King Tech's 'The Anthem'[79].
He has also been cited as one of Hip-Hop's greatest storytellers, alongside Slick Rick and Notorious BIG[80][81], with "laser-like visual descriptions"[82], and "vivid narratives"[83]. Rolling Stone states that, "Live and Let Die continued G Rap's reign as rap music's premier yarn-spinner"[84].
[edit] Mafioso/Street content
Kool G Rap is often credited as one of the first rappers to include mafioso content, as well as a lot of hardcore street content, into his lyrics[85][86][87][88][89][90][91]. This can be seen as early as 1989 in the song "Road to the Riches" where he makes a reference to Al Pacino (who plays mobster Tony Montana in the 1983 crime drama movie Scarface)[92] - this was long before albums such as Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995) made such references popular[93].
Since his debut, he has used various references to mob movies in his lyrics, album covers, and titles[94]. For example, the first line of 'Bad to the Bone' from Wanted: Dead or Alive (1990) is, I'm bad to the bone / with a style like Al Capone[95], the album Live and Let Die (1992) uses samples from the film The Untouchables[96], the album cover of Roots of Evil (1998) uses elements from the The Godfather and Scarface theatrical posters[97], and The Giancana Story (2002) album title references Mafia boss Sam Giancana[98].
Rolling Stone says, "before Kool G Rap, New York didn't really have the street rap that could hold its own against what artists such as L.A.'s Ice-T and N.W.A were churning out"[99] and that "G Rap excelled at the street narrative"[100].
His take on crime, violence, and the mafioso lifestyle ranges from remorse and contemplation (eg. 'Streets of New York'[101], described by Rolling Stone as "a vivid look inside the misery of the hood"[102]), to glorification (eg. 'Fast Life' featuring Nas[103]).
[edit] Discography
| With DJ Polo | Year |
|---|---|
| Road To The Riches | 1989 |
| Wanted: Dead or Alive | 1990 |
| Live and Let Die | 1992 |
| Solo Albums | Year |
| 4,5,6 | 1995 |
| Roots of Evil | 1998 |
| The Giancana Story | 2002 |
| Half a Klip | 2008 |
| Compilations | Year |
| Killer Kuts | 1994 |
| Rated XXX | 1996 |
| The Best of Cold Chillin': Kool G Rap & DJ Polo | 2000 |
| Greatest Hits | 2002 |
| Collaborative Albums | With | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Click of Respect | The 5 Family Click | 2003 |
| Legends Vol. 3 (digital album - Napster) | J-love Enterprise | 2009 |
[edit] Featured appearances
- 1988: "The Symphony" (on the Marley Marl album In Control Volume 1)
- 1991: "Don't Curse" (from the Heavy D album Peaceful Journey")
- 1991: "The Symphony Vol. II" (on the Marley Marl album In Control Volume 2: For Your Steering Pleasure)
- 1992: "Death Threat" (from the Brand New Heavies album Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1)
- 1993: "This Is How We..." (from the Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard album Give Em The Finger)
- 1996: "Representin'" (Ruffa featuring Kool G Rap)
- 1996: "Stick To Ya Gunz" (from the M.O.P. album Firing Squad)
- 1998: "Truly Yours 98" (from the Pete Rock album Soul Survivor)
- 1998: "Guns Blazing (Drums of Death, Pt. 1)" (from the UNKLE album Psyence Fiction)
- 1998: "40 Island" (from the N.O.R.E. album N.O.R.E.)
- 1999: "Friend of Ours" (from the E-Moneybags album In E-Moneybags We Trust)
- 1999: "The Anthem" Also feat. RZA, Tech N9ne, Eminem, Xzibit, Pharoahe Monch, Jayo Felony, Chino XL & KRS-One and "3 to the Dome" also feat. Big Daddy Kane & Chino XL (from the Sway & King Tech album This or That
- 1999: "The Realest" (from the Mobb Deep album Murda Muzik)
- 2000: "Fall Back" (from the Big L album The Big Picture)
- 2000: "Ghetto afterlife" (from the Reflection Eternal album Train of thought)
- 2001: "Let 'Em Live" (from the Chino XL album I Told You So)
- 2001: "I Am" (from the G. Dep album Child of the Ghetto)
- 2001: "Gorillas" (from the Screwball album Loyalty)
- 2001: "No Surrender" (Shabaam Sahdeeq featuring Kool G Rap)
- 2002: "Allied Meta-Forces" (from the Canibus album Mic Club: The Curriculum)
- 2002: "Nuthin Has Changed" (from Lyricist Lounge: West Coast)
- 2003: "Animal Rap" (from the Jedi Mind Tricks album Visions of Gandhi)
- 2005: "Ghost & Giancana" (from the Ghostface Killah album Put It on the Line)
- 2006: "We Gone Go Hard" (from the Ras Kass album Revenge of the Spit)
- 2006: "Reckless Eye-Ballin" (from the VERBAL THREAT album The Golden Era)
- 2006: "Full Metal Jacket" (from the Molemen album Killing Fields)
- 2007: "Hood Tales" (from the Marco Polo album Port Authority)
- 2007: "100 Roundz" (from the Domingo album The Most Underrated)
- 2007: "Come one, come all" (from the Styles P album The Ghost Sessions)
- 2007: "Next Up" (from the UGK album Underground Kingz)
- 2007: "6 in the Morning" (from the Statik Selektah album Spell My Name Right: The Album)
- 2007: "Buck Buck" (on the Red Cafe and DJ Envy album The Co-Op)
- 2008: "The Next Step" (from the Big John album The Next Step featuring R.A The Rugged Man)
- 2009: "Gunz From Italy" (from the Club Dogo album Dogocrazia)
- 2009: "Ill Figures" (from the Wu-Tang Clan compilation album Wu-Tang Chamber Music)
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:k9frxqygld6e~T1
- ^ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.1051/title./p.all
- ^ Kool Moe Dee, 2003, There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Thunder's Mouth Press, p.225, 228.
- ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 213-214.
- ^ http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index12.jhtml
- ^ http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:yauw6j5371t0
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:k9frxqygld6e~T1
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/03/16/21108470.aspx
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/01/28/20816964.aspx
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/01/22/20803725.aspx
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/koolgrap/biography online excerpt from 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide.
- ^ Cobb, William Jelani, 2007, To The Break Of Dawn: A Freestyle On The Hip Hop Aesthetic, NYU Press, p. 59.
- ^ Hess, Mickey, 2007, Icons Of Hip Hop, Greenwood Publishing Group, p.57.
- ^ Kool Moe Dee, 2003, There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Thunder's Mouth Press, p.228.
- ^ http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index12.jhtml
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9fqxquhldae
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/koolgrap/biography online excerpt from 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide.
- ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 213.
- ^ http://halftimeonline.com/hip-hop-icon-series/kool-g-rap/2/
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:k9frxqygld6e~T1
- ^ allmusic ((( Kool G Rap > Biography )))
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3pfuxqu5ld6e
- ^ allmusic ((( Kool G Rap > Biography )))
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:h9fyxql5ldhe
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3pfqxqu5ld6e
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kbfpxqrgldfe
- ^ Hess, Mickey, 2007, Icons Of Hip Hop, Greenwood Publishing Group, p.57.
- ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 213.
- ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=97142&model.vnuAlbumId=1078035
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:k9frxqygld6e~T1
- ^ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.911/title.kool-g-rap-half-a-klip
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:anfuxqljldte
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0pftxqehld6e
- ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 213.
- ^ Cobb, William Jelani, 2007, To The Break Of Dawn: A Freestyle On The Hip Hop Aesthetic, NYU Press, p. 59.
- ^ Kool Moe Dee, 2003, There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Thunder's Mouth Press, p.226-228.
- ^ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.911/title.kool-g-rap-half-a-klip
- ^ http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:yauw6j5371t0
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kbfpxqrgldfe
- ^ Cobb, William Jelani, 2007, To The Break Of Dawn: A Freestyle On The Hip Hop Aesthetic, NYU Press, p. 59.
- ^ Hess, Mickey, 2007, Icons Of Hip Hop, Greenwood Publishing Group, p.57.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:k9frxqygld6e~T1
- ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 214.
- ^ Kool Moe Dee, 2003, There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Thunder's Mouth Press, p.225, 228.
- ^ Kool Moe Dee, 2003, There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Thunder's Mouth Press, p.225.
- ^ http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index12.jhtml
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/koolgrap/biography online excerpt from 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide.
- ^ Coleman, Brian, 2007, Check The Technique: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies, Villard, Random House, p. 285.
- ^ http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/07/14/21794546.aspx
- ^ http://www.myspace.com/ratheruggedman
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/03/16/21108470.aspx
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/01/28/20816964.aspx
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/01/22/20803725.aspx
- ^ http://www.myspace.com/officialladyofrage
- ^ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.1051/title./p.all
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/03/16/21108470.aspx
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/01/28/20816964.aspx
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/01/22/20803725.aspx
- ^ Kool Moe Dee, 2003, There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Thunder's Mouth Press, p.225.
- ^ http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index12.jhtml
- ^ http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:yauw6j5371t0
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kbfpxqrgldfe
- ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 213.
- ^ Cobb, William Jelani, 2007, To The Break Of Dawn: A Freestyle On The Hip Hop Aesthetic, NYU Press, p. 59.
- ^ Jay-Z, 2003, 'Encore', The Black Album, Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam.
- ^ http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.911/title.kool-g-rap-half-a-klip
- ^ http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:yauw6j5371t0
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kbfpxqrgldfe
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/03/16/21108470.aspx
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/01/28/20816964.aspx
- ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviewsmusic/archive/2009/01/22/20803725.aspx
- ^ http://halftimeonline.com/hip-hop-icon-series/big-daddy-kane/4/
- ^ Kool Moe Dee, 2003, There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Thunder's Mouth Press, p.225.
- ^ http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index12.jhtml
- ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 213.
- ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 213.
- ^ Kool Moe Dee, 2003, There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Thunder's Mouth Press, p.225-228.
- ^ Sway & King Tech, 1999, 'The Anthem', This Or That, Interscope Records.
- ^ Sway & King Tech, 1999, 'The Anthem', This Or That, Interscope Records.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:h9fyxql5ldhe
- ^ Kool Moe Dee, 2003, There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Thunder's Mouth Press, p.225, 227.
- ^ Hess, Mickey, 2007, Icons Of Hip Hop, Greenwood Publishing Group, p.57.
- ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 213.
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/koolgrap/biography online excerpt from 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide.
- ^ Kool Moe Dee, 2003, There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Thunder's Mouth Press, p.228.
- ^ http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index12.jhtml
- ^ Cobb, William Jelani, 2007, To The Break Of Dawn: A Freestyle On The Hip Hop Aesthetic, NYU Press, p. 59.
- ^ Hess, Mickey, 2007, Icons Of Hip Hop, Greenwood Publishing Group, p.57.
- ^ Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, p. 213.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9fqxquhldae
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/koolgrap/biography online excerpt from 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide.
- ^ Kool G Rap, 1989, 'Road to the Riches', Road to the Riches, Cold Chillin'.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:g9fqxquhldae
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:k9frxqygld6e~T1
- ^ Kool G Rap, 1990, 'Bad to the Bone', Wanted: Dead or Alive, Cold Chillin'.
- ^ Kool G Rap, 1992, Live and Let Die, Cold Chillin'.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:anfuxqljldte
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:k9frxqygld6e~T2
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/koolgrap/biography online excerpt from 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide.
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/koolgrap/biography online excerpt from 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide.
- ^ Kool G Rap, 1990, 'Streets of New York', Wanted: Dead or Alive, Cold Chillin'.
- ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/koolgrap/biography online excerpt from 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide.
- ^ Kool G Rap, 1995, 'Fast Life', 4, 5, 6, Cold Chillin'.
[edit] Further reading
- Kool Moe Dee, 2003, There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, Thunder's Mouth Press.
- Brian Coleman, 2007, Check The Technique: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies, Villard, Random House.
- Peter Shapiro, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin.
- William Jelani Cobb, 2007, To The Break Of Dawn: A Freestyle On The Hip Hop Aesthetic, NYU Press.
- Mickey Hess, 2007, Icons Of Hip Hop, Greenwood Publishing Group.
[edit] External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kool G Rap |
- Kool G Rap Myspace - Official Kool G Rap Myspace page
- Kool G Rap interview March 5th, 2008 - Kool G Rap interview with HipHopDX
- Kool G Rap interview November 12th, 2003 - Kool G Rap interview with HalfTimeOnline
- Kool G Rap interview 2003 - Kool G Rap interview with MVRemix
- Three Thug Mice Kool G Rap plays the voice of Brik the mouse in the Three Thug Mice cartoon

